Reece Simmonds
{{Short description|Australian rugby league footballer}}
{{Use Australian English|date=July 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2020}}
{{Infobox rugby league biography
|name = Reece Simmonds
|fullname = Reece Simmonds
|image =
|caption =
|position = {{rlp|WG}}
|currentclub =
|retired = yes
|birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1980|01|07}}
|birth_place = Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
|height = {{convert|5|ft|9|in|m|abbr=on}}
|weight = {{convert|12|st|7|lb|kg|abbr=on}}
|club1 = {{nowrap|St. George Illawarra}}
|year1start = 2002
|year1end = 06
|appearances1 = 48
|tries1 = 21
|goals1 = 0
|fieldgoals1 = 0
|points1 = 84
|club2 = South Sydney
|year2start = 2007
|appearances2 = 7
|tries2 = 1
|goals2 = 2
|fieldgoals2 = 0
|points2 = 8
|club3 = St. George Illawarra
|year3start = 2011
|year3end =
|appearances3 = 2
|tries3 = 2
|goals3 = 0
|fieldgoals3 = 0
|points3 = 8
| teamA = {{nowrap|NSW Residents}}
| yearAstart = 2003
| yearAend =
| appearancesA = 1
| triesA = 1
| goalsA = 0
| fieldgoalsA = 0
| pointsA = 4
|updated = 8 January 2024
}}
Reece Simmonds (born 7 January 1980) is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 2000s and 2010s. He was born in Sydney, and played in the National Rugby League (NRL) for the St George Illawarra Dragons (2002–2006; 2011) and the South Sydney Rabbitohs (2007).
Playing career
An Eagle Vale St Andrews junior, Simmonds worked as a greyhound handler{{cite news|newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald|title=Titans clean up depleted Dragons|first=Brad|last=Walter
|url=http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/league-match-report/titans-clean-up-depleted-dragons-20110610-1fxai.html|accessdate=15 June 2011|date=10 June 2011|publisher=Fairfax Media}} before he made his debut with St George Illawarra in the opening round of the 2002 season. He played 14 games at fullback in 2002 and 2003.
2004 was Simmonds best year. Switching to the {{rlp|wg}} he made 23 appearances and scored 14 tries. However, the next two seasons with the Dragons were less successful.
In 2007, Simmonds joined the South Sydney Rabbitohs in the National Rugby League competition, but played in just 7 games that season. At the end of the 2007 season, Simmonds played for South Sydney's feeder club side, the North Sydney Bears in their NSW Cup grand final against Parramatta at Stadium Australia. Simmonds scored a try with 15 minutes left before Joe Williams kicked a field goal with 3 minutes remaining to make the score 15–14. Norths then lost the grand final in the last 20 seconds of the game after Parramatta player Weller Hauraki crossed over for the match winning try.{{cite web|url=https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/nrl/eels-break-peacheys-heart/news-story/ba65f10cfd89ca76387296295fc1a2a6?sv=3a3359f7a982e16d1cafc5c0b1162b8b/|title=Eels break Peachey's heart|website=Herald Sun}}
From 2008 to 2010, Simmonds worked as a coal-miner and played in the lower-tier based rugby league competitions, with Collegians in Wollongong and Wests Illawarra. He retired in 2010 after breaking his leg for a second time, but was persuaded to return to playing, winning a local premiership for Wests.{{cite news|newspaper=The Daily Telegraph|location=Sydney|title=Reece Simmonds to play for Dragons after four years out of the NRL|first=Barry|last=Toohey|url=http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/nrl/reece-simmons-to-play-for-dragons-after-four-years-out-of-the-nrl/story-e6frexnr-1226071289930|accessdate=15 June 2011|date=8 June 2011|publisher=News Limited}} He was also captain of Illawarra Division in the NSW CRL Championships.{{cite news|newspaper=Illawarra Mercury|location=Wollongong|title=Leg break spells end for Reece Simmonds|first=Mike|last=Gandon|url=http://www.illawarramercury.com.au/news/local/sport/rugby-league/leg-break-spells-end-for-reece-simmonds/1789194.aspx|accessdate=15 June 2011|date=30 March 2010|publisher=Fairfax Media}}
In 2011, Simmonds was called into the Dragons' NRL team to help compensate for nine players out due to injuries and origin commitments. He returned to retirement at the end of the season to coach the Wests Red Devils in the Illawarra League.{{cite news|url=http://www.illawarramercury.com.au/news/local/sport/rugby-league/reece-simmonds-has-marys-big-shoes-to-fill/2289423.aspx|title=Reece Simmonds has Mary's big shoes to fill|last=Gandon|first=Mike|date=13 September 2011|newspaper=Illawarra Mercury|location=Wollongong|accessdate=16 November 2011|publisher=Fairfax Media}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.nrl.com/myclub/players.cfm?TeamID=13&PlayerID=642 NRL profile]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Simmonds, Reece}}
Category:Australian rugby league players
Category:North Sydney Bears NSW Cup players
Category:New South Wales Residents rugby league team players
Category:Rugby league fullbacks
Category:Rugby league players from Sydney
Category:South Sydney Rabbitohs players